Pollwatch: Sunday Business Post/Red C October 16th

Tomorrow the Sunday Business Post have a Red C poll for the Presidential Election. The comparison is with the Red C poll for Paddy Power on October 6th. The field work for this poll was done between Monday and Wednesday so does not include any changes, if any, after the Prime Time debate.

Gallagher, Sean (Ind) 39% (+18)

Higgins, Michael D (Lab) 27% (+2)

McGuinness, Martin (SF) 13% (-3)

Mitchell, Gay (FG) 8% (-2)

Norris, David (Ind) 7% (-7)

Davis, Mary (Ind) 4% (-5)

Scallon, Dana Rosemary 2% (-3)

The major change in this poll is the massive 18% leap in support for Sean Gallagher. It is becoming a two horse race between Gallagher and Michael D Higgins of Labour as they are the only candidates to see a rise in support.

All the other candidates have seen a drop in support, and independent Senator David Norris who has seen his support halved from 14% t0 7%. The other candidates have all seen their support drop between 2-5%.

The rise the Fine Gael were hoping to see for Gay Mitchell does not seem to have materialised as he drops 2%. But have the attacks on Martin McGuinness had some effect as he has dropped 3% in the poll?

Of course, no polls seem to be agreeing over a week so it will be interesting if next week the polls will change as the debate and revelations from Dana have any effect in the next set of polls, and of course will the media turn their attention on the leading candidates and change it all again?